Steam-cooker



(No Moduel.) l

G. A.' GRIFFITH.

STEAM GOOKBR.

Patented Apr. 23

wilg@ sszs UNITED STATES PATENT OOEEICE.`

GEORGE A. GRIFFITH, OF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA.

STEAM-COOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,028, dated April 28, 1896. i

Application led August 3, 1895. Serial No. 558,147. (No mod el.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valdosta, in the county of Lowndes and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Steam-Cooker, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a steam cooking apparatus designed particularly for use in preserving fruits, vegetables, &c. and the object in view, in connection with asimple, inexpensive, and efficient device to receive a number of jars, cans, or other fruit-receptacles for exposure to steam, is to provide means for controlling the outlet of steam, whereby during the introduction and removal of receptacles the hands of the operator are protected.

Further objects and advantages of this in- -vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cooker constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail section of the upper end of the steamconveyer upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both iigures of the drawings.

1 designates a boiler, preferably of cylindricalconstruction, with an inlet-spout 2, pro vided with a removable cap 3 to allow of the introduction of water. The top of the boiler is depressed to form a basin 4C, surrounded by an annular rim 5, and rising from the center of said top is the steam tube or conductor 6, provided at its upper end with a controlling-valve 7. In the construction illustrated this controlling-valve consists of a cylindrical cap fitted upon the upper end of the tube or conductor and seated upon a collar or ring 8, said cap being provided with perforations 9 to register with similar perforations 10 in the tube or conductor when the cap is arranged in the proper position. The cap is further provided at its upper end with a handle 11 and at its lower end with a clip 12, which engages the collar or ring on the tube or conductor to prevent the cap from moving vertically, said clip being extended to form a tongue 13, which extends through a segmental keeper 14 on the tube or conductor below said collar or ring to limit the rotary movement of the cap. When the cap is turned in one direction until its motion is checked by said keeper, the perforations in the cap and tube are arranged to allow the escape of steam generated in the boiler, and when the cap is turned in the other direction said perforations are moved out of registration and the escape of steam is checked. In the construction illustrated in the drawings the tube or conductor is removably iitted upon a short pipe-section 15, rising from the center of the top of the boiler, whereby access is given to the'interior of the boiler to cleanse the same.

Arranged above and seated upon the boiler with its lower edge within the annular rim above described is a cover 16, preferably of cylindrical construction, which is adapted to cover a plurality of jars or cans arranged upon the boiler and coniine the steam discharged from the steam tube or conductor, whereby it accomplishes the cooking of the contents of said jars or cans.

After the boiler has been properly supplied with water and the jars or cans containing the fruit 0r other material to be cooked have been placed upon the depressed top of the boiler said jars are inclosed by the cover and the apparatus is placed upon a stove or other heating device to raise the temperature of the contents of the boiler to the proper degree.

The steam generated within the boiler escapes through the tube or conductor into the space inclosed by the cover, and when it is necessary to expose the jars for the purpose of removing the same and introducing others the valve by which the discharge of steam from the boiler is controlled shouldbe turned to close the perforations.

From the above description it will be seen that the device embodying my invention is simple in construction, and that it may be prepared readily for use and is not liable to injury by superheatin g the contents of the boiler.

The water of condensation is received in the depressed portion of the top ofthe boiler, from which it may be removed in the interval be tween the removal and replacement of jars o r cans.

IOO

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- In a steam-cooker, the combination with a boiler, a steam tube or conductor communicating with the boiler at the center of its top, and a cover seated upon the boiler and inclosing the steam tube or conductor, of a valve for controlling the outlet of steam from the boiler, the same comprising a cap fitted rotatably upon the upper extremity of the tube or conductor with its lower edge in contact with a collar or ring 8 on said tube, the cap and tube being provided with perforations adapted to register, a .clip 13 carried by the cap and having a bend or loop engaging said collar or ring, a segmental keeper 14 on the tube or conductor, a tongue carried by the cap formed by an extension of the clip below the plane of the collar or ring and arranged to operate in said keeper to limit the rotary movement of the cap, and a handle whereby the cap may be turned, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoafiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEO. A. GRIFFITH. y Witnesses:

RoB'r. BLACK, R. C. HOGAN. 

